


Shuriken Lovers [Tenten x Sasuke]

by Reya39



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Childhood Friends, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Orphanage, Orphans, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:20:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26712085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reya39/pseuds/Reya39
Summary: "I'll make you my wife someday, I promise!" said Sasuke, his face full of pride and assurance.All these years later, and Tenten hasn't forgotten about the boy...and the promise. Now that she's finally been accepted into the academy, will she be able to see him again after such a long time?
Relationships: Tenten & Uchiha Sasuke, Tenten/Uchiha Sasuke
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by user SweetBlackay's Tenten appreciation week fanfictions!

7-year-old Tenten

Tenten ran past the busy streets of Konoha as she ran away from the stinky place of what they called an orphanage. "Tenten!" She heard the caretaker behind her yell, but the voice soon faded. She knew it would be easier for them if she was gone anyway, there were so many children to attend to. A small rock on the ground makes contact with Tenten's tiny foot and she trips and hits the dirt ground face first. "Ow..." Tenten is on the verge of crying, but growing up with not enough love to go around taught her to suppress her emotions, particularly crying. Still, she has trouble getting up and stumbles a few times. 

A hand is introduced in front of her. She looks up to see a boy around her age offering his hand. He has black hair. Tenten thinks it looks really soft. She takes his hand and stands up firmly.

"Why were you crying?" Asks the mysterious boy. Tenten is taken aback.

"I wasn't!" she exclaims, as she wipes the corner of her eye with her shirt sleeve feeling embarrassed. "Now now Sasuke," Tenten hears another voice say, and she looks to see a much older looking boy with smooth long hair and kind eyes talking to the one who offered her a hand. Brothers? She feels as if the name "Sasuke" sounds a bit familiar, but she wasn't sure. "It's not nice to ask a girl why she's crying, instead you should ask if she's alright and comfort her." Tenten puffs and crosses her arms in agreement with what the older boy says, while the other boy shrinks just a bit.

"Okay, Itachi-nii-san..." Itachi? Tenten had heard rumors about someone from the honored Uchiha clan named Itachi, could it be the same person?

She doesn't have time to ponder about it in her small brain before she feels a gentle hand patting the top of her head. She looks up to see the small boy grinning up at her, "Don't cry anymore alright?" The boy turns around to catch up with his brother who has already started walking down the street. A small blush covers Tenten's face as she isn't used to affection and the feeling is foreign to her. She stands there wondering what to do now, not wanting to go back to the orphanage yet. She decides to follow the two brothers to their destination out of boredom.

After a good five minutes of sprinting, she sees the two brothers walking into a shop and follows them inside making sure not to be seen. As soon as Tenten walks in, she is surrounded by ceiling-high shelves shoved to the maximum with boxes and containers. Tiny Tenten bends down and grabs the nearest box, opening it to reveal about 50 shurikens. Her eyes immediately light up at the sight, the ninja tools entrancing her as she completely falls in love. She tries holding one in her small hand but nearly drops it on the floor due to the weight. She puts the box back and starts looking for the two brothers again.

The store is huge, its almost the size of a warehouse. Rows and rows of shelves line the walls and it's quite crowded given its Tuesday. Tenten can't resist the urge to buy one, just one shuriken, even if it meant using all of her savings (which frankly wasn't much). She reached into her pocket to reveal the two paper sheets of ryo she had found on the street a couple of weeks ago. Looking through all of the boxes, Tenten eventually settles on one shuriken that has an extra sparkle in it. She contemplated buying a kunai instead, but her petite hands found it easier to grip the shuriken, whereas the kunai would just slip off. She walks up to the line in front waiting nervously, silently praying that her lucky savings will be enough to buy the very one thing she has ever _really_ wanted. 

The line shortens and Tenten is upfront at the counter, placing her single kunai and two ryo on the table with shaking hands. "O-one s-shuriken please." 

The old but intimidating man handling the cashier begins laughing loudly and pushes her money back, but keeping the shuriken. Tenten stares back in terror, wondering what she had done wrong. 

"Little girl," The man leans down so close to her that she can see the maze of wrinkles on his face. "Children aren't allowed in here alone, and we only sell our weapons in bulk. Besides, two ryo isn't enough to even buy _half_ of a shuriken!" He laughs even louder and Tenten shrinks into a raisin, her smile from before fading away as she walks out of the store with her two worthless ryo.

Having nothing else do to, Tenten decides to head back to the loud, overcrowded, foot-smelling place she called home; the orphanage. Even though she called it home, she knew that it was nothing close to a proper loving, comforting, and safe house most of the kids around her age had. Although she was only 7, Tenten was one of the older kids at the orphanage and even had to do most of the chores. The only kid who was around her age was the loud kid named Naruto, but he was just plain annoying. Sometimes the babies crying was too much for her to handle at night to the point where she would sleep in the woods all the way across town, just to escape the sounds. 

Tonight was one of those nights. The day had already been hard enough for her, her hopes being tampered with just to be let down in the end again as usual. As soon as the caretakers had fallen asleep, Tenten creeped out through the small window in the room that she shared with four other girls. The crisp air felt good against her sweaty skin, and she started walking along the pathways on the edge of Konoha where she wouldn't be seen. She found the usual clearing with the large rock in the middle that she found so much comfort in, and let her back lean against the cold stone while her fingers played with the soft grass. Tenten eventually fell asleep with no dreams haunting her that night. 

\------------

Tenten felt a pair of hands shaking her. "Hello?? Wake up!" A familiar voice was annoying her, but she couldn't care less and continued to sink deeper into the ground. "Hey!!" Tenten immediately sits up to find the little boy from yesterday had yelled directly into her ear, startling her. She then looked around, recollecting her thoughts to find that she had woken up late and forgotten to head back to the orphanage early in the morning. She stands up and wipes off the leftover dirt on her clothes. "What are you doing here?" Tenten exclaims.

"What are _you_ doing here? This is the Uchiha compound! There's no way to get in here unless you go through the front gates, and no way would they let a girl like you into here. What's your name anyway?"

This was all too much for Tenten to process. Uchiha compound? She was sure that this was a public forest that anyone could walk into. "It's Tenten. And um, this isn't the Uchiha compound...This is just the forest on the side of Konoha." She had been coming here ever since she was old enough to walk. If this was the Uchiha compound, she would have known. The kid points to a house on the far left and Tenten squints to take a closer look at it. On the top of the roof, there is a small sign with the traditional Uchiha symbol imprinted on it. Oh no...

Tenten's brain connects the pieces as she looks down to her feet realizing she's standing on sacred Uchiha land. Since she's been walking here at night, she takes a small pathway through the rest of the forest which supposedly was a detour. It made sense that she never knew though. She always left before sunrise and never left any traces of her existence besides her tiny footprints that were soon whisked away by the wind. Wait, that meant the boy in front of her...

"You're an Uchiha?" Tenten asks dumbly, already knowing the answer. "Yeah," the boy says with pride. "Sasuke Uchiha. What clan are you from?" Tenten looks down at the ground, her eyes ashamed. "Um, I'm not from any clan...I'm an orphan." She looks back up expecting Sasuke to look disgusted or be grossed out at her, but instead, her eyes meet the ones of a boy who cares nothing about that. 

"That's cool!" Sasuke exclaims, "It must be nice not having your parents boss you around all the time." Tenten gets a bit sad again and Sasuke can see that he's hit a spot that hurts her. "Well, I think that might be kind of lonely too." Sasuke sits back down next to Tenten and then his face lights up. "I have an idea! I'll make you my wife and then we can share our parents hehe! Then you'll also be part of the Uchiha clan. Promise?" Tenten beams back at Sasuke, her mood already getting better. "Okay, Sasuke. That's a promise." She replies back. They both say goodbye to each other and Tenten runs back to the orphanage, her heart jittering with happiness.

\-------------

12-year-old Tenten

Tenten rushes to the front door of the orphanage after hearing that a letter from _The Academy_ had arrived in the mail...and it was addressed to her! 

Learning to read by the age of four, the caretakers had already known that Tenten was an exceptionally gifted child. The only issue was, there wasn't any money available to send her to school. Having tons of free time, Tenten was able to solve puzzles and make maps of the town as easily as that, so when the orphanage was given a rare opportunity to send one of their children to the reputable academy, there was no hesitation in who they would send.

With quivering hands, Tenten neatly unrolls the scroll. A bunch of the other children start to form a circle around her, curious as to what the letter is about. Since most of the children aren't old enough to read yet, Tenten reads it out loud in a ceremonial voice:

_Dear Miss Tenten,_

_Greetings, we hope this letter finds you well. We are pleased to inform you that there is an available spot in our incoming class of students this year. Seeing as you are a gifted child, we have reserved this seat for you, if you are to accept of course. All of the items needed are supplied by us, but make sure to have durable clothing. Please let us know your decision by Thursday afternoon and we hope to see you on campus soon._

_\- The Academy_

Tenten drops the scroll right after reading it, not believing that this is real. Her once dreaded life had suddenly taken a turn. She could become a kunoichi now. She could become just like Princess Tsunade! The possibilities were endless when it came to the academy. She immediately responded with a very enthusiastic, "YES!" and told the caretakers the good news. She looked down at her current outfit, a white dress that had multiple dirt stains and almost looked like a rag. She couldn't possibly wear this to such a highly renowned school. To solve this, the caretakers each chipped in 50 ryo for her outfit, which wasn't much, but she was thankful for all the support they had given her so far. 

Tenten went out into town to find a suitable outfit to wear at the academy. She came across multiple tailors, but all of their rates went over her 300 ryo budget. As she kept on walking alongside the street, she saw an old lady hemming something that caught her eye. The old woman was fixing up a traditional Chinese-styled top. 

"Ma'am, how much is this?" Tenten then pointed to the clothing she was sewing. The lady looked up with her sagging yet kind face. "200 ryo just for you little girl. 300 if you would like the pants as well." She then motioned to some lose fitting grey pants that had a deep red lining with intricate patterns of gold on the top and bottom. They matched perfectly with the top, and it was just within her budget! Not hesitating, she purchased the outfit and was giddy all the way back to the orphanage, where she displays her new outfit in front of everyone as they stare in awe. To them, Tenten is like their idol, their inspiration that they can do anything despite being orphans. Going to the academy also meant that Tenten got to move out and live in her own apartment. It was a full-on paid scholarship. Even though she hated the loudness and the foul smell of the place, deep down she knew that she would miss it, its the place where she grew up, after all, her family.

Tenten counts down the days until its the night before her first day. She can't sleep and her head is pounding with all of the stuff that might happen. Then, a face pops into her thoughts. One with raven black hair, and even though you've never touched it, it looks soft. Sasuke Uchiha. The boy from all those years ago. Something about him...His kindness...His eyes. They were unforgettable to her. She wonders if she'll see him at the academy. She wonders if he remembers her, and the promise they made back then.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> btw sasuke is going to have a different personality I guess since in this fic the uchiha massacre doesn't happen

The day had come, Tenten was going to the academy. Her nerves were all over the place while walking towards the school, but she had found a new piece of confidence in her that came with her outfit. Tenten knew she was already at a disadvantage, entering the academy at the year where most kids usually graduate, and everyone else has three more years of ninja training than her, but she wouldn't let that get in the way. She was prepared to work harder than everyone else to stay at the same level.

As she neared the school, she saw the familiar faces of Sakura, Shikamaru, and some other children her age she had met around the village. No sign of the raven-haired boy though. The academy was huge, and there's a steady stream of students ages 7-13 coming in and out of the gates. Tenten walks through the large entrance and looks for her class. Many other kids stare the new face they've encountered, not knowing who she is. 

She finds her classroom and walks in, looking around for a place to sit. She finds a spot in the second to last row next to the window and sits down. Other children start to walk in and whisper as they see her, wondering who she is. By the time their teacher Iruka-sensei enters, nearly the entire class is filled, with only the seat next to her being empty. She feels a bit disappointed but tries not to think much of it. Maybe there's a late student or someone who's sick today?

"As I'm sure most of you have noticed, we have a new student in our class this year. Tenten," Iruka-sensei motions to her, "would you like to introduce yourself?"

Tenten stands up, back straight and chin up. She's determined to give off a good first impression, even if she already knows some of the kids in her class. "Hi!" She says with a bright voice, "I'm Tenten, and I hope I can get to know all of you well." Just as she sits back down the closed doors slide open. Another student walks in, his hair black and his bangs messily held back by a ninja headband. Tenten's eyes light up at the sight of him. "Sasuke." Iruka-sensei says in an irritated voice, "You're late like usual. There's an empty seat next to our new student, Tenten." And he points to her. Tenten can feel the jealous gazes of the other girls in the classroom. She looks down as Sasuke walks up to the seat and cooly sits down, his hands in his pockets. _Sasuke Uchiha..._

Iruka-sensei begins teaching and Sasuke lays his head down on the desk, his face turned towards Tenten. Tenten looks at the ordinary view from the window next to her as she doesn't know how to react at Sasuke staring at her. 

Eventually, she gets bored of looking at the window and rests her head on the desk as well, facing Sasuke. Her mocha brown eyes meet with Sasuke's black pearly ones. The corners of his mouth are slightly turned up. They both gaze at each other for a while in silence, before his lips start moving. _He's mouthing something._

"...Ten...ten" Sasuke mouths. Tenten nods once.

"I'll...make you...

...mine"

Right after Sasuke mouths that he sits back upright just as Iruka-sensei calls both of them out for sleeping. Tenten pretends to be confused, even though she knows exactly what he's talking about. _So...he hasn't forgotten either._

The thing is, Tenten wasn't exactly accustomed to love, or affection in general. Her life had led to her setting boundaries and walls for almost everything, especially human relationships. Like callouses on a working hand. She was young when she had met Sasuke. What she had felt back then was just child's play. What she felt now...it was more of longing for a friend. That's why she was so set on leaving a good first impression. She didn't know how to react to to Sasuke. No way was he serious about what he said back then.

Of course, her life had drastically improved by this change of attending the academy, and she was aware of that. Still, her borders would not go down so easily.

Tenten paid attention for the rest of the class, setting the thought for something to think about later in her new home. Soon enough, it was lunchtime and the girls in her class scooped her up.

"So, Tenten. How's your first day been so far? You're SOOOO lucky to get to sit next to Sasuke!!" Sakura blabbers at her, squealing at the last part. Tenten takes a big bite of her cooked fish before she answers. Another benefit of going to the academy was that they provided all lunches for free. None of that plain porridge for every meal now. "Well," she replies. "It's super fun so far. I'm so glad to finally be able to learn ninjutsu and stuff. I'm really looking forward to shuriken training too." She slurs at the word _shuriken_. "Sasuke is alright I guess, we don't talk though," Tenten adds that to lessen the tension, knowing that they all have an extremely obvious crush on him. They all visibly sigh at that, glad that that's gotten out of the way.

Speaking of the devil, Sasuke walks by their table, flashing a quick grin...at Tenten. Sakura and Ino scream with their high-pitched voices. Then they start arguing over who Sasuke was smiling at...

Tenten keeps quiet and continues to eat her lunch. 

After lunch, they head back to the classroom to find that they will be split up into groups of three for the rest of the year in order to further develop their individual skills. Most of the kids get excited about this, but Tenten gets a bit sad as it'll be harder for her to get to know everyone. The teams are based on everyone's ability levels, so she's not sure how they'll group her.

Iruka-sensei reads out the teams and they head out with their given jounin-level teachers. Soon enough, the classroom is nearly empty before Tenten's name is called.

"Team 7, Tenten and Sasuke." Tenten waits for another name to be called but it never comes. She can see Sasuke smirk from the corner of her eye.

"Iruka-sensei," Tenten asks, "why's our team only two students? Shouldn't there be three?" 

He replies, "Sasuke is the top in this class, so naturally he would be paired with the lowest person in the class," Tenten blushes. "Not saying you're bad, but we aren't aware of your abilities, and you'll have to learn the basics while everyone else is doing other jutsus. After weighing the factors, we decided that a team of two students would make more sense given the circumstances. Of course, depending on your improvement we may change some things."

Tenten understands. She sees this as an opportunity to improve her skills faster due to the 1:2 teacher-student ratio, but she still doesn't know what's going on with Sasuke. 

Iruka-sensei leaves the room and Sasuke and Tenten sit in silence as they wait for their new teacher to come in. "So...Sasuke," Tenten says, attempting to make it less awkward. "Do you remember me? From the woods, a long time ago." She looks at him, waiting for an answer.

"Yeah, I do," he says softly, "a single day since then hasn't passed where I haven't thought of you."

Tenten is barely able to process what he's said when someone walks through the door and introduces themselves. "Hello, I'm Kakashi, I'll be training you guys from now on." A black mask covers half of his face and his headband covers one of his eyes...leaving only about one fourth of his face for Tenten and Sasuke to look at. They both get out of their seats and walk towards him. 

"Alright, so _you_ must be Sasuke." He looks at Sasuke, "and _you_ must be Tenten." She nods, and he sighs while looking at his clipboard with their information. "What a weird duo..." He mutters off, forgetting that they're even there. 

"Okay, well, let's see what you guys can do."


End file.
